Hawking warns new technologies may threaten human survival

The Cambridge professor said that humans had to be “careful” for the next 100 years to ensure survival. His statement follows a 2015 warning on the risk of using artificial intelligence in conflicts. World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has once again issued a warning on technological and scientific threats to human survival after singling out artificial intelligence in 2015. Hawking said that scientific breakthroughs and new technologies will likely contribute to “new ways things can go wrong” for human survival, citing genetically engineered viruses and nuclear war. Last year, Hawking signed a letter, along with some 1,000 industry leaders in technology, that warned of the grave impact artificial intelligence will have if it is developed for use in “killer robots,” which could launch an unprecedented arms race. However, the 74-year-old Cambridge…